In preseasons past, we knew roughly how good the University of Washington football team would be.
At least we had some idea when Brock Huard or Rashaan Shehee or Hakim Akbar or Napoleon Kaufman was coming back for what we pretty much knew would be a successful swan song.
We had some idea that the 2000 Huskies were going to be pretty good, with Marques Tuiasosopo returning as a senior and most of the team coming back from a surprisingly competitive Holiday Bowl against powerful Kansas State. We didn’t expect a Rose Bowl, but we knew the ship was fairly safe from bottoming out.
This season? No clue. No way. No how.
The Amazing Kreskin would retire with a migraine trying to figure out this crew.
Oh, some of us think we know. The Pacific-10 Conference writers spotted the 2004 Huskies seventh in the conference, but how much of that was influenced by the hangover a la Neuheisel/Hedges/gambling pool/Wilson/Dr. Feelgood/narcotics/NCAA investigation fiasco of the past – how long has it gone on? Twenty-five years?
Perhaps a position-by-position look will clear things up. There’s talent here. Trouble is, some of the talent doesn’t even shave yet.
Quarterback: Casey Paus replaces Cody Pickett after a battle with Isaiah Stanback and Carl Bonnell. Judging from the length of time it took for the coaches to give the nod to Paus, maybe even they gave the keys to him with shaky hands. Whatever the case, Paus isn’t yet in Pickett’s class, although in time he may be. Up or down from ‘03? Down.
Running backs: Four primary carriers here – Kenny James and Shelton Sampson at tailback, along with Zach Tuiasosopo and James Sims at fullback. All have had flashes of solid, gritty, hard running. Sampson is the fastest, but also the most unpredictable with the ball. James is reliable if not spectacular. Tuiasosopo is a crushing blocker and improved runner. Sims may be the fastest fullback in the country. Up or down from ‘03? Up.
Offensive line: Racked by injuries last year, this group may have benefited over the long term because so many young players got so much playing time in so many different positions. Now, most are healthy and suddenly this spot looks pretty deep. Up or down from ‘03? Up.
Receivers: Gone is Reggie Williams. Back is Charles Frederick and a crowd of youngsters. The most promising showings in camp: Bobby Whithorne, Sonny Shackelford, Anthony Russo and Corey Williams. So the Huskies lose one star, but make up for it in depth. Up or down from ‘03? Down, but considering the numbers, only slightly. And Frederick has to stay healthy.
Defensive line: A young, young group, led by tackle Manase Hopoi and one that likely will play at least two true freshmen in end Greyson Gunheim and tackle Jordan White-Frisbee. But adequately replacing tackles Terry Johnson and Jerome Stevens simply won’t happen. Up or down in ‘03? Down.
Linebackers: Marquis Cooper and Greg Carothers are gone, but the coaching staff moved up strong safety Evan Benjamin to outside linebacker. Benjamin has taken to the spot magnificently. Joe Lobendahn and Scott White add speed to the position and Tim Galloway gives it experience. The group is faster and more athletic. Up or down in ‘03? Up.
Secondary: Derrick Johnson may be the best cover corner in the conference. He is joined by Sam Cunningham, a senior who started five games last year. Senior Jimmy Newell is at one safety and Dashon Goldson, who earned an intimidating reputation at Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College, is the other. It’s a more experienced group, perhaps the strongest part of the team, and Goldson adds a little evil. Up or down from ‘03? Up.
Special teams: Washington’s coverage teams were top-notch last season and Frederick is a dangerous return man. Punter Sean Douglas can boom one 65 yards one minute and shank the next one. Placekicker Evan Knudson had a fast start in 2003, but tailed off in the second half of the season, mostly because his low-trajectory kicks would get blocked. Against Ohio State, one bonked one of his own linemen in the back of the helmet. Up or down from ‘03? The same, which means “shaky.”
So after all the analysis, all the thorough, painstaking evaluation, the answer to the question of how good the Huskies are:
Beats the heck out of us.
Here’s a look at this week’s games:
Washington vs. Fresno State
Kickoff: 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Husky Stadium.
TV: FSN (cable).
Radio: KJR radio (950 AM).
Stars to watch: Washington – Casey Paus won the quarterback battle that spanned from spring practice to roughly a week before the beginning of the season. Backup Isaiah Stanback, a magnificent runner, also will see action. The Huskies have a solid running game led by Kenny James. Shelton Sampson, a speedster, will spell James. An intriguing spot is at fullback. Zach Tuiasosopo, a devastating blocker and improving runner will start. Backing him up is converted safety James Sims, a 4.5 guy who has been great in spring and preseason. Senior Charles Frederick leads a young but improving group of receivers. Frederick also can break a long gain as a kick returner. The line is anchored by four-year starter Khalif Barnes. The heart of the defense is in its secondary, with cornerback Derrick Johnson and strong safety Jimmy Newell. JC transfer Dashon Goldson has fit in well at free safety.
Fresno State – The veteran Bulldogs return 39 of 44 players from last season’s season-ending depth chart and appear loaded for the next couple of years. Quarterback Paul Pinegar, who missed the first five games last year because of a torn pectoral muscle and struggled when he returned, appears healthy. But the Bulldogs love to run and have the personnel to do so. Tailback Dwayne Wright ran for 1,036 yards last season and has a fine offensive line to run behind. A welcome returnee to the offensive front is tackle Logan Mankins, who missed all of 2003 with a knee injury. Center Kyle Young and guard Dartagnon Shack both are 310-pounders. Receivers Jermaine Jamison and Adam Jennings combined for 107 catches in reserve roles last season. The defense returns eight starters. Ends Brian Morris and Garrett McIntyre contributed 19 sacks in 2003. Safety James Sanders leads a young secondary.
Breaking down the game: An interesting aspect of the game will be how the young, inexperienced Huskies deal with a more mature team. That’s starting with Paus, who certainly will face a variety of defensive looks and blitzes from a fast, smart group of defenders. On the other side of the ball, the Huskies’ young defensive line has its hands full against its counterparts. If the Bulldogs o-line decisively wins the battle here, it could be a long day for Washington.
Bottom line: Opening games strike fear into coaches, especially coaches of young, unproven players. And the Huskies are full of them.
Pick: Fresno State, 24-20.
Washington State vs. New Mexico
Kickoff: 5 p.m. today at University Stadium, Albuquerque, N.M.
TV: ESPN (cable).
Radio: KRKO radio (1380 AM).
Stars to watch: Washington State – Sophomore quarterback Josh Swogger is raw, but he’s all the Cougars have. He has three very good veteran linemen to protect him in Calvin Armstrong, Nick Mihlhauser and Sam Lightbody. Troy Bienemann is an all-conference-caliber tight end. Other than that, question marks on offense abound. Defensively, the Cougs return just two starters, one being Will Derting, a dominant middle linebacker. Slowed in preseason with a broke wrist, Derting has gotten the OK to play. Cornerback Karl Paymah is an excellent coverage man.
New Mexico – DonTrell Moore is a workhorse tailback who led the Mountain West Conference in rushing at 1,450 yards. But the big deal with the Lobos is defense, where coach Rocky Long and defensive coordinator Osia Lewis teach the players to go after the ball and quarterback relentlessly. New Mexico led the MWC conference in sacks in 2003 with 39, 10 more than any other team. The Lobos were fifth in the nation in rushing defense last year, giving up 86 yards a game. Unfortunately for them, they lost seven off that defensive unit. The star is senior linebacker Nick Speegle.
Breaking down the game: These are two rebuilding teams that could finish either very high or very low in their respective conferences. We like New Mexico’s running game, especially at home, against WSU’s question marks on defense.
Bottom line: Lobos in a tough game, not only because of Moore, but also because of the type of defense they run.
Pick: New Mexico, 21-20.
Other games involving Pac-10 teams:
Northern Arizona at Arizona: This is the Wildcats’ and Arizona State’s annual punching bag before the real season starts. Pick: Arizona, 26-7.
San Jose State at Stanford: This, on the other hand, is Stanford’s annual punching bag before the real season starts. Pick: Stanford, 26-7.
Oklahoma State at UCLA: The Bruins need a good start to build a foundation for the season. The Cowboys need to replace three starters on the defensive line and their starting quarterback, Josh Fields, who opted to play pro baseball. Pick: Oklahoma State, 17-16.
Cal at Air Force: Tricky game for Cal, who never sees the option that Air Force runs and can never duplicate it in practice. First-game jitters and an away game at altitude spell upset. Pick: Air Force, 30-28.
Oregon State at LSU: The Beavers will come out of this game better than when they went into it. IF, that is, they come out of it. Pick: LSU, 38-10.
Sleeper pick of the week: Florida State 34, Miami 12.
John Sleeper is the Herald’s
college football writer
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